Acoustics

Sound Source Identification using The Acoustic Camera

Sound sources are everywhere and locating specific sources is not always as easy as it seems. The Acoustic Camera is a sound localization tool that has the capability of mapping sound sources in both 2D and 3D space. This tool facilitates the task of tracking down these sources of interest and do further analyses to better understand them. With many microphone array geometries available tailored to different applications, The Acoustic Camera is a valuable tool for quick and easy source localization tasks.

Automotive

The automotive industry is at an exciting milestone with the emergence of electric vehicles. With the new technology come new challenges in NVH. Sound sources that were previously masked by the internal combustion engine are now becoming relevant. Some of the new components in these EV’s are also creating new sources that were not present in traditional internal combustion engine. New manufacturing processes are also going to create new BSR (Buzz, Squeak and Rattle) concerns. The Acoustic Camera is the perfect tool for finding these new concerns quickly and easily.

Applications

Aerospace

In the aerospace industry research and development is crucial as failure of components can have major implications. Understanding how components of an aircraft behave and react in situations must be studied. Some of the testing needs come in the form of acoustic testing. Being able to identify a sound source can help determine a part failure. There is also the passenger comfort to take into consideration. The Acoustic Camera can help with both.

Applications

Room and Building Acoustics

Acoustics are becoming a very important feature of room/building design. If you are designing a concert hall or theater you need to make sure that people in every seat have the best experience, which mean poor acoustics should not take away from the event. When designing a restaurant it should provide an environment where conversations at the table are not affected. Using The Acoustic Camera you can map the sound sources on a 3D model of the room and provide a way to measure the room’s impulse response. This provides the ability to precisely localize the direct sound and the early reflections over time and space.

Applications

Industrial Hygene

Companies today are becoming more aware of the damaging effects loud working conditions can have on their employees’ health. More and more of these companies are taking steps to lower the noise floor in and around the workplace. The Acoustic Camera is a great tool to find the major contributing factors to the overall dB levels.

Environmental Noise Pollution

When many people think of pollution, noise is often overlooked. However, this is a very real concern as it affects personal health and overall quality of living. An individual’s sleep quality can be affected by automobile, air, and/or train traffic at night. Using the Acoustic Camera to locate the major contributors to the overall noise will allow for the correct steps to be taken to mitigate the noise pollution.

Product Development

A perception of the quality level of a product can be directly linked to how quiet it is or that it makes the “right” sound. Many hours are spent on product development and sound quality. Being able to identify the sources and understand the psychoacoustics (loudness, sharpness, harshness, etc.) that a product has is crucial for producing a quality end product. The Acoustic Camera can quickly and precisely help with these challenges.

Applications

Quality Control

With more and more automated processes being introduced in production the need to monitor the health of the equipment is increasing. Any downtime in production is translated to a loss of profit. One way to decrease this downtime is by using The Acoustic Camera for preventative maintenance. Being able to identify a potential part failure before it happens will allow for a decrease in time needed for repair and thus lower production line downtime.

Applications

Biology

Humans are not the only species to communicate with each other. Researchers studying interactions in the animal kingdom need to distinguish the individuals that are producing these calls, chirps, growls, etc. The Acoustic Camera allows them to pinpoint and analyze these sounds allowing them to further understand the communications between a species.